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When you have a baby, or when your kids are growing up. Redecorating their space may be the largest part of the redecorating process for you. How do you create a theme that you child will not “grow out of” within the next year or so? Sometimes you can design a theme that can be altered with the simple removal of, and subsequent addition of smaller items to the room. Things such as well-framed posters, a stenciling painted on the wall, and a few more accessories such as trinkets that will alter the overall look without costing you a fortune.

When redecorating, several parents have all the ideas when it comes to decorating the living room, their own bedrooms, bathrooms, the den or office – no problem. For these individuals, the majority of their home redecorating frustration actually comes from trying to figure out the perfect motif for their children’s bedrooms, bathrooms, nurseries, playrooms and so on. How to decide? It is especially difficult because children’s popular trends fluctuate so rapidly. So if “Finding Nemo” is the most popular theme today, next week it might be “Snow White” or “Star Wars” AGAIN. A kid’s room could be not cool for two weeks or suddenly be a-never-cool-again bedroom, playroom, or what have you. So what do you do? There are several suggestions – but one in particular rises above all the rest: the use of broad, yet personal themes.

For example: if your little boy or girl is obsessed with a specific sport, you are off to a great start. Sports themes can be very specific – such as jerseys, pictures and accessories for a particular team, or they can be very broad. But it might be a good idea to have a more general, say, basketball theme for the overall design.

Some little boys and girls fickle fans, they change their minds about what sport is their favorite and want to have THOSE bed sheets or THAT wallpaper. In such a case a general sports theme can be the very best answer for you, wallpaper with footballs and baseball gloves, hockey sticks and basketball hoops. Maybe a couple of sets of sheets and pajamas with the “theme of the week” he or she insists upon. The more general the better, there are less complications that way.

Another example applies to little boys or girls obsessed with a cartoon character, for example: “The Little Mermaid.” Posters and “under the sea” CDs are great, even little Ariel trinkets will do. But the overall décor could, perhaps, be something more along the lines of a general underwater theme. This way, he or she could change his or her mind without you having to make any drastic changes to accommodate the child.

Another idea is to explore what they dream to become when they grow up and set up an aviation theme, for example . . . or perhaps a dancing theme would be perfect in your child’s bedroom. I grew up with two sisters and the three of us all danced for years, the playroom had a slight dance – theme to it. We played our music on our own cassette player and practiced in that room. There, of course, was also where we kept our dolls, dress-up clothes, and other toys – so it was not a solid motif. It was a playroom. Nonetheless, it was a playroom we never tired of.

You can install these low-flow aerators on all of your faucets and you can also get one for the shower heads. These are great because what they do is add air to the water before it comes out of the faucet which in turn spreads the water out over a much broader area. So, you don’t need to use as much water to shower, brush your teeth, wash your face, etc. These low-flow aerators restrict the flow of water but they increase the force and pressure of the water coming out, making that smaller amount of water more effective.

2. Paint your bathroom green,but it can be any color you want. Painting your bathroom will give it a great new look but you do not have to spend a lot of money doing it. Also, you should purchase “green” paint, which is paint that is low or free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These types of paint contain natural pigments that come from vegetable sources. Since bathrooms are generally small spaces, you don’t want to use paint that contains harmful vapors.

3. A great way to save money and use a lot less water is to upgrade your toilet. An older model toilet uses 3-5 gallons of water for every flush. The modern toilets only use one and one half gallons of water per flush. That is a savings of one and one half to three and one half gallons of water for each and every flush. If you add up how many times you flush the toilet every day, you can see where this upgrade can save you a lot of money. You will recoup the cost of the new toilet in no time. If you really cannot afford to upgrade your toilet right now, you can convert your older one to a low-flow toilet by placing a weight in the tank.

To make a weight, find a water and rust-proof container, like a plastic milk jug or a plastic 2-liter soda bottle. Fill the bottle with gravel or sand and put the cap on tightly. Put the bottle into the toilet tank, making sure that the flapper, the float, the flush arm and all other components in the tank do not touch the bottle. The purpose of this is to displace some of the water in your toilet tank. When your tank fills, it will fill up with less water.

Something else that you can do if you are not in a position to replace the toilet is to install a dual-flush system in your old toilet. This gives your visitors a choice of using a little bit of water or a lot of water. You can purchase and install this yourself for around $30.00.

4. Replace your plastic shower curtain with one made of natural fibers. Plastic shower curtains give off toxic vapors because of the nature of soft plastics. You can buy a linen or cotton shower curtain or make one yourself.

5. Another option is a tank-less water system for your bathroom. Instead of pulling hot water from your hot water heater, the water is held in a separate reservoir. You don’t have to run the water until it gets hot. It is heated as it comes through to your shower head or sink faucets. This change alone will save a lot of money, not only on water but on your electric bill also.

The items above are not only eco friendly ways for you to make home improvements in your bathroom, but they are ways for you to save money on your water and electric bill.

Planning to transform your bathroom into a beach paradise? You only need to know a few simple rules as well as remember your fondest tropical objects to create the look you’ve always wanted. You may choose to make drastic changes or gradually add a few things at a time until you attain the perfect ambiance. Here’s how to design a beach bathroom.

You can choose between a restful tropical environment and a fun and lively one. If you’re aiming for some peace and relaxation, aim for colors like ivory, pale gold, tan and green. Earth colors help provide a more calm background. You can then add in accents like white window and shower curtains. Shower curtains should have tribal or tropical patterns as well. If you have translucent glass doors that lead to the shower area, you may want to add more designs on it like seashells and fishes. Tropical plants and some flowers will provide colorful tones. If you have enough room, a palm or banana leaf is great as corner decors.

As for texture, wicker, bamboo, grass cloth and rattan will create a stimulating effect. You can place bamboo mats on the floor, cut bamboo trunks to be used as toothbrush and razor holders or line the window screen with split bamboo. Seashells, small wooden totems and hibiscus are great decoration items. You may want to add starfish and gecko designs on shower curtains, cabinets and the vanity. You may also take out the vanity and cabinet doors and have tribal patterns carved. Tiles can be grainy or unpolished to provide a sandy effect.

For a beach effect, the bathroom should have lots of light preferably coming from natural sources. You can have bigger windows compared to traditional bathrooms. Simply cover windows with white drapes or hanging beads. A skylight is a unique idea since it brings in a lot of sunlight during the day.

There are hand-painted ceramic sinks available too which are perfect for your tropical design. Some toilet bowls have customized flush handles with fish or shell shapes. Bamboo mirrors are ideal over the sinks. Find a large shell and use it as a soap dish. Other items in the room if possible should present a beach feel as well like the trash can, towel hanger and toilet seat cover. Wicker baskets are excellent storage bins. You may place white stones and tropical plants like birds of paradise in it.